The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1887-07-07
UNDER ETHER.
Al Experience With the Aassthstie fbr . Nsrsl.
cal Operation.

rious sensation. feeling perfectly sound
in mind and limb, to sit waiting for
man to whom you are to surrender
volition, conciousuess-in fact every.
thing but life itself-while he cuts and
carves at you with his knives and
lancets.
Soon after the hour named two seri-
GUS, frock-coated gentlemen, with
luminous little black bags in their
hands, were ANNOUNCED; The surgeon
declared thkt the Operation must be
bedstead ipt6 the most convenient
from the window, and when he had
retired I began to undress; No time
was lost; the surgeon and doctor came
in, and began to arrange their tackle
for work. The doctor got out HIS
ether apparatus, and soon compound
ed smell like photographers shop
in olden days, while out OF the corner
of my eye could see the surgeon, who
had taken off his coat and pulled
some guards over his wrists and arms,
arranging his weapons in q neat row
on the dressing table. When the doc
tor had got his machine ready he
placed it over my nose and mouth,
with instructions to breathe deeply
two or three times. The apparatus
used for giving ether consists Of box
in which the compound Ia placed, and
an oval india-rubber mask, very
plant and flexible, projecting from it.
with q tap which allows coft1mhnica-
ton between the two parts to lie
cut off or established at will.
The mask part was placed
over my face, and inhaled
deeply once. or twice, with the only
result that l was seized with a choak-
ing cough, which, however was soon
followed by q pleasant and restful
sensation. felt as If were gently
doing off on warm summers day;
so / closed my eyes and placed my
ar ms down BY my sides that they
might not interfere with my breathing.
The doctor bent over me and raised
an eyelid, but I was wide enough
awake to say, mot yet, DOCTOR" I
was rapidly going, through and felt
was beginning to lose consciousness.
The light sremed gently to fade away,
giving place to a darkness that was
not awful or horrible, but soft and
restful. There was no giddiness or
singing in the ears, but silence and
darkness settled down over me, and
then a red veil seemed to come from
between my eyes and to float away
into the increasing gloom, gradually
diminishing to Il red spot, the only
speck OF light left. Slowly this faded
away, and sight, hearing, volition,
and every sense with it. had q dim
consciousness of existence, but my
very life seemed far away, buried un-
der masses of soft darkness. lido not
know whether l spoke, but my brain
was a blank, and not a thought
crossed my mind. All Was numb.
dead and still, the silence of the grave,
but with faint, indefinable conscious.
ness somewhere that this was not
death. but only suspension of life.
Darkness was all around; not 4 dark.
ness that might be felt. but one that
filled everything, covered everything
and blottetl out everything with black,
impalpable and all-pervading pres.
ence.
Gradually and softly as it went the
light came back again, with no
startled wonder as to where / was, for
almost before l could shape a thought
instinctively remembered my posi-.
tion, and knew that the operation
was over. Tine figures in the room
grew distinct and clear. l half rose
up in bed, and then horrid feeling of
nausea and pain rushed upon me. l
had lain down strong and we'll; woke
up weak and throbbing with a pain
under my bandages, and with sick
ness such as had believed could on
ly be produced in Alderney Race on
board q cattle boat.
"Splendid," cried the surgeon, cheer
fully, "a!l over, first rate" and he
turned down his shirt sleeves after
tossing away the towel with which he
had dried his hands. My first
thought was to ask the time. "Not
much more than quarter Of an hour
over it," was the reply; II dare say
you'll go to sleep now; goodbye"
During my trance they had cut ma
and carved me, sewed me up and bane:'
aged me without my even knowing
had been touched, but I could hardly
feel grateful to the anesthetic, for the
nausea 1t produced was so intense.
My mouth, throat and lungs felt
coated with ether and dried with
smoke, and could we'll imagine what
the mouth Of a photographers boy
would be like after q prolonged de-
bauch on brown paper cigars soaked
in collodion. Still, the ether had
saved me from much suffering, and,
what was of more Importance, had
prevented the skill Of the operator be-
ing baked by any flinching. Every
thing had been done swiftly, skillfully
and with no fear of the patient vino
ing or moving. The knife is sure and
sharp nowadays, and does not bungle.
A Rats Remarkable Instinct.
From the American Naturalist.
On very warm day in early sum.